Water distilling apparatus for lifeboats



Sept. 26, 1944.

G. KEENAN ETAL WATER DISTILLING APPARATUS FOR LIFEBOATS 2 Sheet-Sheet 1' Filed Feb. 4, 1945 fiveniorr p 1944-- G. KEENAN ETAL WATER DISTILLING APPARATUS FOR LIFEBOATS Fi'led Feb. 4, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 26, 1944 WATER DISTILLING APPARATUS FOR LIFEBOATS George Keenan, Great Crosby, Liverpool, and

James Aloysius Mulhern,

England Bootle, Liverpool,

Application February 4, 1943, Serial No. 474,698 In Great Britain March 6, 1942 Claims.

Apparatus of a compact and simple character for enabling small supplies of fresh water to be distilled is required for many purposes, and is particularly desirable to form part of the equipment of a ships lifeboat for obtaining fresh water from seawater should the quantity of fresh water normallycarried by such boats become exhausted owing to the length of time during which the lifeboat may be afloat before the occupants reach shore, or are picked up.

According to this invention the distilling apparatus of comparatively small dimensions so as to be readily portable comprises as a unitary structure a cylindrical vertical boiler or evap orator having an interior firebox and combustion be corrugated to increase heating surface,'and

means such as a gauge glass provided for indicating the water level in the boiler and the boiler may be lagged. The condenser is preferably of tubular type having an annulus surrounding the vapour pipe through which cooling water is adapted to be circulated, which, in the case of a ships boat, would be seawater circulated by the hand pump forming part of the usual equipment of a ships lifeboat.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of a distilling apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a {three-way cock for controlling the water supply to the condenser or the boiler feed, and.

Fig. 5 is a section of the boiler feed connection.

Fig. 6 i a plan view of the baffle plate in the boiler, and

Fig. 7 is an oil burner fitting for use With the boiler.

In the construction illustrated, the cylindrical boiler shell I is detachably secured by its flange 2 to a lower plate 3 perforated with a series of flange 9 of the boiler shell by bolts and wing nuts l0. A suitable packing is preferably compressed between thefianges. The upper narrower end of the combustion chamber is secured to ,a sleeve H externally threaded at its upper end and having a flange l2 between which and; a ring nut I3 carrying the funnel Ma is secured the inner end of a conical baflle plate H! which extends from the inner part of the cover 'l' downwardly nearly to the tubular Wall of the boiler shell t leaving only a restricted annular outlet for the vapour generated in the boiler. The baffle plate has a series of perforations l5 and the plate is recessed at Hi; the recess being disposed opposite the vapour outlet ll, preventing any tendency to priming and minimizing the eifect'of turbulence while allowing for an easy exit of the generated vapour. Near the base of the boiler shell is a series of holes 39 and these together with the air space between the foot plate 5 and base plate 3 and the air holes 3a in the latter, permit inlet of the necessary air for effective combustion. The vapour passes by way of the branch I! and pipe l8 to the condenser. This consists of a tubular outer casing l9 held between end caps 20 through which passes the inner vapour tube 2| forming a continuation of the pipe 18 and branch I! connected up by couplings 22. In the arrangement shown the condensed vapour passes into a filter 23, carried from the base of the tube 2|, containing granulated charcoal or other filtering medium, and at the base of the filter is an outlet pipe 24 forming a syphon bend and water seal. The condenser l9 has a lower water inlet 25 and an upper'discharge 26, the circulating water passing from the inlet to the discharge by way of the annulus between the inner vapour tube 2i and the outer casing I9. A three-way cock 21 is connected by its branch 28 to a cold water supply, which in the [case of a ships lifeboat would be circulated through the condenser by the manually operated pump of theusual lifeboat equipment, the cock having branches 25a, 29 to which are led pipe connections to the condenser circulating water inlet and to the boiler feed connection 30. The boiler is fitted with a gauge glass 3| to indicate the water level in the boiler, the gauge being protected by a guard 32. The boiler shell is lagged at 33. The connection 30 may have a tap branch 40 for use only when heating fresh water in the apparatus.

In operation, the boiler is filled with Water to the desired level determined by the gauge glass by turning the plug of the cock 2! to put the supply branch 28 in communication with the boiler feed connection 30. The fire is then lighted in the firebox 6 by dropping burning paper or lighted oily waste down through the topof the conical firebox, the funnel Ma being, if necessary, removed for this purpose. Wood may then'be fed into the firebox. The suction pipe of the pump, where a circulating pump is being used, is then coupled up to a suitable water supply, or put overboard from the ships boat as the case may be, and the plug of the cock 2! is turned to put the inlet branch 28 in communication with the circulating water inlet 25, the boiler feed 30 being shut off. When vapour is generated and passes by way of the outlet I1 and pipe l8 into the condenser tube 2|, cooling water is circulated through the condenser annulus by working the pump. The water of condensation passes into the filter 23 and through the syphon bend 24 and may be collected in any suitable vessel. The filter 23 and syphon outlet 24 may if desired be dispensed with. As evaporation proceeds and the water level in the boiler falls, the plug of the cock 2'! is turned to shut off the condenser and put the water supply in communication with the feed branch 30 by way of the pipe 21a, the boiler being again filled up. After being in use some time the boiler and furnace need to .be cleaned,

and to effect this the ash may be removed from the firebox 6 by disconnecting the boiler shell from the lower plate 3 completely opening the bottom of the firebox, and similarly by loosening the nuts Iii and removing the boiler cover 1 and inverting the boiler, the residual heavy brine may be emptied from the water space. It has been found in practice that the boiler may be refilled with seawater and evaporated about four times before it and the furnace need to be cleaned.

. Alternatively the branch 26 on the condenser may be used as the cooling water inlet and the branch 25 as the outlet by way of the cock 21, the cock having a third or delivery branch on the side instead of the open bottom branch 28. The condenser annulus may be provided with a spiral baflie to increase the effective path of the cooling water.

and through the air space between the base plate 5 and perforated plate 3.

The Whole apparatus could be made very compact, a suitable size for the boiler being about 9 inches diameter by 18 inches high, so that it may be readily stored in the restricted space available on a ships lifeboat, the apparatus, though not necessarily restricted to marine use, offering a simple and valuable means of saving life at sea in case of marine disasters and particularly those due to enemy action, where the ships lifeboats are frequently at sea for long periods before the survivors are rescued.

We claim:

1. A unitary structure portable distilling apparatus, comprising a cylindrical vertical boiler, an

interior conical firebox and combustion chamber in the boiler forming therewith an annular water space, a detachable cover for the boiler carrying a vapour outlet pipe to acondenser, a baiiie plate carried from the cover and shrouding the vapour outlet, said condenser, and means for controlling the circulation of cooling water through the condenser.

2. A unitary structure portable distilling apparatus, comprising a cylindrical vertical boiler, an interior firebox and combustion chamber in the boiler forming with the boiler shell an annular Water space, a condenser separate from the boiler but carried therefrom, a filter fitted at the base of the condenser, a water seal at the base of the filter, and means for controlling the circulation of cooling water through the condenser.

3. A unitary structure portable distilling apparatus, comprising, a cylindrical vertical boiler, an interior conical firebox and combustion chamber in the boiler forming therewith an annular water space, a detachable cover for the boiler With such an apparatus When used in connection with a ships lifeboat, in order to provide emergency fuel a few of the usual air cases of the lifeboat may be replaced by wood bundles, or parts of the Wooden structure of the lifeboat itself might be used as fuel, or the cars, bottom boards or mast could be so used, while a further source of fuel would be driftwood obtained when afloat.

Alternatively to the burning of Wood or similar combustible matter, the distilling apparatus may be fitted with an oil burner. With this object the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 is utilized, the ring casing 34 of the burner having upper and lower flanges 35, 36 and an access door 37. This is fitted by disconnecting the perforated lower plate 3 and bolting the .upper flange 35 of the burner casing to the lower flange 2 of the boiler, the disconnected base plate 5 and its distance pieces 4 being connected to the lower flange 36 of the oil burner casing. Air apertures 38 are formed in the lower wall of this oil burner casing, an air supply being afforded through these cess in the baffle plate remote from the vapour outlet, a water cooled condenser separate and exterior of the boiler, and means for controlling the circulation of cooling water through the condenser.

5. A unitary structure portable distilling apparatus, comprising, a cylindrical vertical boiler, an interior conical firebox and combustion chamber in the boiler forming therewith an annular water space, a detachable coverfor the boiler.

carrying a vapour outlet pipe, a baffle plate carried from the cover and shrouding the vapour outlet, a water cooled condenser separate and exterior of the boiler, and a three-way cock connected to the condenser to the boiler and a cooling Water supply.

GEORGE KEENAN. JAMES ALOYSIUS MULHERN. 

